Virtual Reality
by Old Account - See Profile
Summary: Four came, all from different walks of life. All must face adversities, and life goes on as normal...until the world they thought they knew comes crashing down. These four must discover what their world truly is. Picture by MdeVicente on Wikimedia Commons.
1. A Note from the Co-Authors

Hello, reader of this story. If you are reading this, whoever you are - Jammer or Phantom, or perhaps some new kind of creature that has come into this world - then you will learn of a history that may have been forgotten by the time these papers have been found. It is simply too soon for us (the co-writers of this story) to share these books with the world. No, we have cast them away, buried them deep underground where someone may come and find them, in a better time.

We can only dream about what the future - your present - looks like. Have the Jammers and Phantoms come together, or have they gone to war for a third time? Has your history been forgotten to the point that you no longer know what Jamaa was?

In case you have forgotten your roots, let us explain what we knew at the time this story began. It might not be what you think you know now, but it is what we learned at the time. We were taught that at the dawn of this world, we were led by the guardian spirits Zios and Mira. Then the Phantoms came, and there was a terrible war, known as the First Phantom War. The Jammer forces were depleted beyond recovery, so Mira went beyond Jamaa to find a group of powerful animals we now know as Alphas. During this time Zios disappeared, and it was assumed that he died. Enraged, Mira and the first set of Alphas tried to defeat the Phantoms, but they were forced to retreat. Spurning the failed Alphas that became the minor Alphas of our time, Mira found another set and finally defeated the Phantoms, but at a terrible price. Mira was killed in battle. The Alphas who helped her win took control of Jamaa, and for a while, there was peace. This is where we will leave off.

Our story, the discovery of the Code and the lie we were living in, is pulled from the memories of all four of us: Snowbelle Senkira of the seals, Ophelia Harkins of the penguins, Mark Fallow of the wolves, and Smoke of the Phantoms. We took turns writing segments of our story. You will know who wrote each chapter by the name in parenthesis by it. For a few of their first chapters, Mark and Smoke wrote their parts together. Though Smoke has gone far in learning the Jammer language, he still needed corrections with his spelling and grammar and could only write a few pages at a time. Eventually, he got into his stride, but if you see a chapter marked Mark and Smoke, know that when you see a horizontal line like this,

* * *

The chapter will change authors from Mark to Smoke.

Finally, we would like to warn you, the reader, that this is not the most accurate story in the world, for we tried to write it like it was happening as we wrote. It has been a long, long time since the events of this story, and our old brains might have forgotten a few things. Luckily, we had the help of several friends who were also there. They corrected us when we were wrong (most of the time). We are not sure that they were right about everything, and sometimes we were so stubborn we got into little squabbles. But mostly, writing these papers was a good experience. It could not have been this good without the help of all of our friends, former enemies, and other witnesses of this tumultuous period in history.

Thank you, Skipper, for your gentle, almost hesitant objections that quickly turn into loud arguments. Thank you, Illune, for your accurate descriptions of Jamaa's old jail. Thank you, Amy and Caleb, for your encouragement throughout the entire writing. Thank you, Raya, for your reluctant assistance and somewhat annoying fashion critiques. We still aren't sure how Mark wearing "totally lame" striped socks has anything to do with writing, but thank you anyway. We could never have done this without the support of you all.

And now, reader, it is time for you to read on.

Hopefully,

Snowbelle Senkira, Ophelia Harkins, Mark Fallow, and Smoke


	2. Back to the Township (Snow)

When I was young, I wanted to do something. Something important, something all of Jamaa would appreciate. Something that would give me a big award ceremony where Sir Gilbert himself was there to congratulate me. (He was my favorite alpha at the time, but Greely is now.) I didn't know about membership, apart from the fact that some animals were and some simply weren't. My parents had kept me shielded from all that for quite a while, until I went to Crystal Sands Prep Academy.

Let me explain about that school: it has a very high reputation, so the tuition is very expensive. But my parents wanted me to get a great education, so they sent me there. It was in Crystal Sands, as its name implies, so I had to leave the sea every day. Up there, on land, was where most of the action took place, so I was reasonably excited - until I learned that I was the only non-member student, and most of my fellow students were not happy about it. Now, most members are just as good as anyone decent, but these ones were the greatest snobs in the world. They had rich parents and lived in huge waterfront homes (not some old shipwreck). They had their own "popular" group, which I (unsurprisingly) was not in. But still, I hoped to earn their friendship. That is, until the field trip to Jamaa Township.

I remember being so excited. I was going to the place where everything happened! Most importantly, though, I wanted to take a look inside the Diamond Shop and see the wonders inside. I didn't have any diamonds, but that didn't dampen my excitement, not one bit. By the time I got to Jamaa Township, I was practically bursting with excitement. The otter next to me rolled her eyes, muttering something about how _her_ father had taken her here more times than she could count. I ignored her and went to the Sol Arcade. I started to play The Claw. The first few times, I lost, and a few of the "popular" students started making fun of me. Desperate to gain their admiration, I tried as hard as possible, and won myself a tiger plushie. I kept playing, getting a streak of seven plushies in a row. The lead "popular" member, Raya, narrowed her eyes in envy.

"Can't you see she's cheating?" She growled.

"Yeah, she is!"

"Scammers and cheaters are always non-members. Am I right?"

"Yeah! Get off that game, cheater!"

The cries of the animals that I once wanted to befriend echoed in my ears, when it dawned upon me that nothing I could do would make them like me. As long as I was identified as a non-member, they'd ridicule me. Tears welled in my eyes, and I ran towards the Diamond Shop. I simply _had_ to do one thing I wanted to do. As I neared the shop entrance, an alligator stopped me.

"What're ya doin' here?" He demanded.

"I just wanted to go into the shop." I explained.

"Uh-huh? Show me yer diamonds."

"I-I don't have any. I just wanted to look around."

" _Look around_? I know what yer doin', thief!"

"But-,"

"No buts! Get outa here NOW!"

Reluctantly, I turned and raced away. Tears slid down my face, and I began to weep. After a few minutes, I stopped. Now I knew what I needed to do. I was going to make Jamaa a better place for non-members, no matter how long it took.

…

I worked at my goal for a long, long time. First, I applied as an omega in the Jamaa government, then rose to be a psi, then climbed up the ranks until I was a gamma.

Then, I became a beta. A beta is the highest role a normal Jammer can become, second only to the alphas. Being a beta meant I had to leave my comfortable home in Bahiri Bay and live in Jamaa Township. There I stood, at the entrance to the town that I hadn't visited since I was nine. Gathering my courage, I stepped into town. I walked to Jammer Central, nervously adjusting my patched hood. Almost immediately, I was greeted by a cheerful - looking cheetah with a flower hat.

"Hi! Are you the new beta? Hmm, let me look at my list...are you Snowbelle Senkira?" She squeaked.

"Yeah. You can call me Snow." I replied.

"Cool! Here's your beta certificate, your den key and licence, your pay contract, your beta badge, and all of those important things!" She said, handing me the papers.

Thanking the cheetah, I ran to the den complex. My den was number 2753. I walked along busy paths, counting the numbers of dens. 456, 457, 458… I imagined what my den might look like. Would it be one of the cottages, or a burrow, or a snow fort? Would it be large, like the Sky Kingdom den, or a small den, like the sunken ship I used to live in? My hopes fell as I came to a large section of small houses with grey walls, a red tiled roof, and a small yard, all in the two thousands. Eventually, I found my den: one of those small dens, with a wooden table and a rug. Sighing, I laid down on the rug, and soon I was asleep.

…

The next morning, after breakfast, I took a long walk back to Jammer Central. Stepping inside of the building, I passed room after room, looking for the one labeled betas. But I couldn't find any room like that, no matter how hard I looked. Finally, I came upon the front desk. A white arctic wolf sat there, adjusting the blue spiked collar around her neck.

"Um...do you know where the beta room is?" I asked. The arctic wolf stared at me for a moment, rolled her eyes, and pointed to a door a few feet away. Flustered, I opened the door, and saw a meeting room with a chalkboard and many tables. Almost every seat was taken. Eyes stared up at me at every angle.

"You're late." The odd looking wolf at the head of the meeting room said cooly. I realized he must be Greely.

"I didn't know where the beta room was." I explained. Greely snorted.

"You were supposed to have gotten a map when you moved here."

"The map was kind of confusing."

Greely stared at me for what felt like an eternity, his yellow eyes boring into mine.

"Well, we have a new beta, Snowbelle Senkira." He announced drily, shooing me into an empty seat. Dozens of eyes latched onto me, and I couldn't help shuddering. _Stop it,_ I told myself. _If you want to make something of yourself, stop being so scared!_

I sighed. What had I gotten myself into?


	3. Revenge (Mark and Smoke)

I remembered it like it was yesterday, though I know that it happened at least a month ago. I remembered it like I've never remembered anything before. The memory of it still hurts me like a bleeding wound. That one day, that fateful day.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been in the Kimbara Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, but it wasn't long enough. Day after day, night after night, I remembered that day. That horrible, terrible day. Just a single look at my leg, just the feeling of touching a boomseed, just the sound of a river took me back to that one day.

The day she died.

The day I swore my revenge.

It was a Tuesday. A chilly, windy Tuesday. I shivered in the cold, listening to Liza giving out instructions. You see, I was a soldier. Though I didn't know it yet, the fateful Tuesday was my last day as a soldier.

In the corner of my eye, I saw her. Belaya. The kindest, most graceful, most amazing animal I'd ever known. She walked with such grace, her pale grey fur rippling in the wind. All arctic wolves were graceful, but this one was graceful inside and out. I remember how she gave a chest of a thousand gems to a family of rabbits whose home had been destroyed, and how she opted to wash last when the waterfall that was to be a washing place was steadily cooling. Belaya didn't even want a salary. She didn't want to take money away from the alphas. In her eyes, in her manner of speaking, and even in the way she threw a boomseed, I could see the love for all nature she had, the dedication to protect each and every bit of it, even the nasty parts.

The thing was, I stood no chance with her. She was a whole other level. She could do much, much better than me. To make things worse, she was always surrounded by friends, so I could never talk to her in private.

Until that fateful day.

"Mark?"

I looked up to see that Belaya was staring at me.

"Yes?" I stammered.

"Liza said that you and I are supposed to go on a patrol by the northern river."

My heart leapt. I was going to do something with Belaya!

"L-let's go, then."

We stepped into the portal that led to where we needed to go. For a moment, we were floating through green light, until we landed by the river with a thud. Cold water wet my paws, so I stood up, only to see that my paws were covered with a strange, oily substance. Looking at the river, I only saw a mass of polluted water, and heard the gurgling of a Phantom Pipe nearby.

"Ugh! Not this again!" Belaya moaned. Frowning, she ran towards the gurgling noise. I raced to catch up to her. Bursting out of a clump of grass to hide behind a large tree, we saw it. It was the largest Phantom Pipe I'd ever seen, guarded by two Phantoms. One was a normal shade of black, but the other was pure white, with a milky white eye that had no pupil. I fumbled through my bag, looking for a boomseed, but couldn't find a single one. Next to me, Belaya shook her head.

"We're going to have to use chomper plants." She muttered. I pointed to a chomper plant half-hidden by grass, and she dashed toward it. Suddenly, something from above scraped my head. Looking up, I spotted a boomseed. I was under a boomseed tree!

"Argh!"

I whipped around at Belaya's sudden cry. Both Phantoms had cornered her against a boulder. My heart began to pound so hard that I thought it was going to burst. Thinking fast, I picked a boomseed from the tree and threw it, taking out the white Phantom. The other Phantom zoomed toward me at an alarming speed. I tried to run, but my paws got tangled up in the grass and I fell. The Phantom loomed over me, crackling with electricity. I closed my eyes, preparing for the blow.

"No!" Belaya cried, slamming into the Phantom. All of the electricity that had surrounded the Phantom blasted into her, and she fell to the ground and lay still. Ignoring her, the Phantom struck me again and again. I didn't care. I didn't feel anything. Belaya was dead, and nothing mattered anymore. My vision sunk into darkness, and I could hear the voices of another patrol before everything went black.

When I awoke, I found myself in the Kimbara Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. There, I learned that the pipe had been destroyed, but the Phantom that killed Belaya was still alive.

Right then and there, I swore that I would kill that Phantom. I didn't care that one of my hind legs would give me a permanent limp. I was going to kill that Phantom if it was the last thing I ever did.

* * *

General Cinder always wanted us to move on, whatever happened. It was always so easy for her to do. I remembered when she chose to lose a limb rather than be caught in a chomper plant. She was always so impatient. She always wanted us to be like her. I'd done a lot of it, moving on. But there was one thing I never moved on from, one thing that stayed with me forever. It didn't hurt me on the surface, but deep down the scars still remain.

In my dreams, sometimes I went back to that day. That fateful day.

The day I lost a little bit of my youth.

The day I swore my revenge.

It was a Tuesday, the day of my first mission in Jamaa. I was practically bursting with excitement.

"Calm down. We don't want the animals to notice us!" My mentor, Overflow, hissed. Let me explain about Overflow: instead of being black like the other Phantoms, she was pure white, with a foggy, useless eye. Despite her blindness, she'd become a formidable warrior.

"Can't we go through the portal already?" I moaned, torturously staring into the dark blue depths of the portal leading into Jamaa.

"First, let's double check everything. Do we have the pipe?" Overflow asked.

"Yep!" I replied.

"Do you know what you're supposed to do?"

"Assemble the pipe, then guard it until another pair of Phantoms come to relieve us."

"And where are we setting up the pipe?"

"The northern river. The one that flows into Jamaa Township."

"Good. I think we're ready. Remember: don't take risks, look out for chomper plants, and if I tell you to run, run and DON'T LOOK BACK."

I nodded quickly, and Overflow helped me pick up the pipe. We carried it through the portal, blue light flashing around us. When we emerged, everything was different.

There was green EVERYWHERE, and I don't mean the kind of green that you find in the fortress, I mean a dull, light green. Instead of being brownish and bending over, or being jet black, the plants were fully green (with parts of different colors), and stood up straight and tall.

"Is this the right place?" I asked, starting to feel slightly nauseous. The sheer amount of nature around me seemed to make me uncomfortable.

"Yes. Now _be quiet!_ " Overflow whispered, a look of disgust on her face. Silently - well, _almost_ silently, we slunk through a patch of tall grass until we could see the river, still carrying the pipe.

"Is that even a river?" I asked disgustedly, looking at the clear blue waters that made up the northern river. Overflow didn't answer, but she glared at me, and I got the message - BE QUIET!

"There's a boomseed tree nearby!" I whispered. Overflow gave a sigh of exasperation and turned to me.

"I _know_ that there is a boomseed tree here, but it'll get the strongest amount of oil and sludge when we put the pipe in, and no animal would expect us to be by a boomseed tree. Now BE QUIET!" Overflow hissed. Silently - for real this time - we emerged by the river and put up the pipe, my limbs straining from its weight. Within a minute, oil began to pour from the pipe into the river, turning it the normal shade of dark purple. For a moment, I was delighted.

And then it happened. A pale grey arctic wolf emerged from a clump of grass beneath the boomseed tree and ran straight at me, swerving at the last second. Overflow and I chased after her, cornering her against a rock. I turned to Overflow, wondering what to do, when I heard it.

The sound I'd remember for the rest of my life.

The sound of a boomseed exploding.

Where Overflow had once stood, there was only ash.

Overflow was gone. _Gone_. Never again to train me, never again to reprimand me. Gone, gone forever. A Jammer had fired on a blind Phantom. Whipping around, I saw a black wolf with white splotches and green eyes duck into the grass by the boomseed tree. I swore to myself that he would pay. Faster than I'd ever gone before, I zoomed toward him, my inner electricity charging to a deadly voltage. As the wolf ran, he tripped over a root and fell. Vengeance would've been mine, if only the arctic wolf hadn't slammed into me, taken the deadly shock, and fallen, lifeless, onto the ground.

My electricity had been wasted, but I could still make that wolf feel pain. I slammed into him again and again, breaking one of his legs and leaving a scratch on his tail. That wolf would die, one way or another.

"There he is!"

"Oh my Zios, what happened?"

"FOR JAMAA!"

The battle cries of Jammers were insignificant. The only thing that mattered was revenge - until I felt something sharp scratch my back, and turned to find a koala behind me. In the split second that it took me to turn, the wolf disappeared, carried away by two rabbits. Promising myself that one day the wolf would pay, I fled, soon shaking off my pursuers.

One day...I'd find the wolf again.

One day...Overflow would be avenged.


	4. Fate and Betrayal (Lia)

"I didn't _mean_ to ditch medical school!"

Even before I said it, I knew it was a lie that would get me nowhere. I _did_ mean to ditch medical school, just not to get caught.

But here I was, facing my mother in the Army Base Camp. She wasn't fooled at all.

"Then how'd you somehow get all the way to Serepia Forest when you were supposed to be in Appondale?" My mother, Aldana, asked. I sighed, trying a different tactic.

"But mom, why can't I be an artist? Everyone _else_ gets to choose what they want to be!" I protested. Aldana narrowed her eyes.

"We both know you're different. And not everyone gets to be what they want to be. I heard that a friend of yours - what was his name, August? - was drafted into the army." Aldana snapped. I stiffened. August was my best friend. Maybe my only friend. He understood. He lived in Serepia Forest, and he was going to help me once I'd ditched medical school. So much for that now. Stupid Phantoms.

"But mom, I HATE it at medical school! It's too dry! Everyone thinks that I'm going to be all perfect and special because of my father, but I'm just plain awful! I don't even have any friends there yet!" I cried. Why'd I have to be stupid different?

"Oh, for Mira's sake! Just think of the arctic wolves that have to tough it out in the desert _and_ fight Phantoms! As for the lack of ability, it means you just need to try harder. Plus, animals should respect you. You're an alpha's daughter and a high-ranking member! Act like it!"

"Technically, Marco is a minor alpha."

"All that means is that he was part of the first group of alphas."

"The one that _failed_."

"Do not talk about your father that way, young lady!"

"I haven't even seen him in four shanking years!"

"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!"

At this point, any animals still wandering around the Base Camp scurried away.

Aldana sighed. "You'll have an opportunity to talk to your father while you're traveling with his division."

I glared at my mother, but I knew that there was no arguing with her. I was to go help the healer in Marco's division, and there was nothing I could do about it.

My mother's words echoed in my head.

" _You're an alpha's daughter and a high-ranking member! Act like it!"_

I stared at my reflection, a dead giveaway to my parentage. I was a light pink penguin with a white face and belly and the regular orange feet and beak, but I resembled my father in several ways. I had the same eye shape and color as him, I had a similarly shaped beak, a triangle pattern around my neck in dark pink, and the same markings over my eyes. Luckily, I didn't have tufts of feathers above my ears like Marco did. I didn't look a thing like my mother, who had green feathers with brown splotches, like she was wearing camo.

What was it about Aldana that made me so mad when I was around her?

"Will you stop ogling at your reflection and get over here?" Aldana snapped.

"Fine, fine," I muttered, waddling over to the portal she was standing by. Without a word, I jumped in. I jumped in before I heard the scream, before I could stop myself. For a moment, I floated through green light, until the light...flickered. For a moment, everything was dark, and I was spinning so violently that I could barely spew my lunch out. Just as I was about to scream in agony, the spinning stopped, and white light illuminated the area. I realized that I was standing on a rocky island in the middle of an ocean of brightness.

As I noticed this, light blue mist crept up from below, swirling around until it formed the vague shape of some unrecognizable creature. Near the edge of what might've been considered its face, two glowing slits appeared, widening into the shape of two harsh, narrowed eyes.

"Wha-who are you?" I stammered, not sure that the mist even counted as a who. "Wait...are you even a who? Well, you can't be a how, a why, a where, or a when, so you must be either a who or a what. No offense. I mean, if you'd like to be a how, I guess we could make arrangements…"

"How odd. You do not know who I am, yet I know exactly who you are." The cold voice did not come from the mist, but from all around me. It echoed, bounced off of the nonexistent walls. "You are Ophelia Harkins. Your mother is a normal penguin named Aldana. Your father is one of the Alphas that _failed_."

"I go by Lia, actually. And about you being shocked that I don't know you, well… In my world, you don't exactly meet a misty lump every day. No offense. Well, you kinda are a misty lump. Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Do not dare disrespect me! It has taken all of my strength just to have this miserable form! But when I finally get my true form back, you will recognize me." The misty thing paused to consider, then spoke again. "Such an extraordinary fate lies in your future. The future of you, the seal near rebellion, and the crippled wolf."

"Wait...WHAT? What fate? What seal? What wolf?"

"You will know when the time is right."

I groaned. Was my life turning into one of those books with vague prophecies and all-knowing spirits? But before I could consider that, everything went black. I began to spin once again, and I vomited twice as much as the time before. Luckily, the normal green light of the portal reappeared, and I only floated for a second more before I crashed to the ground.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a forest of dead, rotting trees. The ground was cracked and oozing dark purple goo, which I tried not to step in as I walked around, trying to figure out how I'd emerged here instead of Marco's camp. Had the portal malfunctioned? Had that misty thing teleported me here? And, most importantly, where the heck was I? I'd been all over Jamaa, from the southern seas to Mount Shiveer, but I'd never seen a place like this.

My pondering was interrupted by a sound like static interference. Phantoms, dang it! How had I been so foolish to not realize that this was Phantom territory? I had to get out of here, quick! But which way was Jamaa territory?

The noise was getting louder, nearer, so I just picked a direction at random (right, because right was right...right?) and waddled as fast as my feet could carry me. The scenery barely changed. There were dead trees as far as I could see. The only difference was that there were patches of dead thorns, so now I could get scratched, too!

I lasted about five minutes before the Phantoms caught up to me. Within seconds I was cornered by two Phantoms, my back pressed up against a tree. I braced myself for an attack, but instead the slightly larger Phantom _spoke_. In Jammer. Broken Jammer, but Jammer nonetheless.

"How you here? Why you different from normal penguin?" he asked. He felt like a he to me.

"How are you speaking without a mouth?" I squeaked.

"Really? That your first question for enemy?"

"Well, I have more questions. How did you learn Jammer? Where am I? And, once again, how are you speaking without a mouth?"

"You answer my questions, I answer yours."

"Fine. I'm not here to attack you, I'm here because of a portal malfunction."

"To answer first question: how speak _with_ mouth?"

"That's not an answer. That's just another question."

"You not in place to demand more."

To that, I simply groaned. The two Phantoms started making static noises again, which was probably their spoken language. It gave me time to reach a horrible conclusion. A Jammer had betrayed Jamaa and taught the Phantoms Jamish. But who? Greely seemed kind of shifty, but then again, he didn't seem like the teaching type. Then there was the creepy misty thing…

"You look like Marco, but you not Marco. Odd. We must take you into custody." the smaller Phantom hissed. Without warning, the two Phantoms sprang at me. I flinched, waiting for a blow that never came. When I opened my eyes, I saw that the would-be attackers had been knocked unconscious. Next to them stood a black lynx - August! And next to him, there was a non-member seal I didn't recognize (Jammers could tell the status of others just by looking at them). She was black with dark grey crescent patterns, a grey nose, yellow eyes, a red patched hood, a red ribbon scarf, and fake wings (just for show). She seemed to radiate a vibe of _don't mess with me_. Could this be the seal near rebellion?

August was the first to speak. "Lia! How did you get all the way here?"

I explained all about being caught ditching school, the portal malfunction, and my discovery. I didn't mention the mist, because I was afraid that protective August would never let me set foot in a portal again - or worse, keep watch over me until my "extraordinary fate" had passed by.

"You actually ditched school? I thought you were kidding!" August exclaimed, and proceeded to yell at me for the next ten minutes. When he had finally cooled down, he told me why he was there. "You see, Snow here is a government official who went to make sure everything was okay. But she got trapped in a malfunctioning chomper plant, and it carried her all the way here. I ran after her, of course."

I narrowed my eyes. Chomper plants were designed to trap Phantoms and transport them to a prison. They had never malfunctioned before. And only one koala could've changed them.

Cosmo was the traitor.


	5. The Seal Near Rebellion (Snow)

Cosmo? A traitor? All of my instincts screamed no. But yet…

Only Cosmo could've messed with the chomper plant that trapped me. And at the last meeting, he hadn't been his usual talkative self. In fact, he had seemed _relieved_ when the meeting had been cut short due to news of a breakout (the main jail was located underneath Jammer Central. The escapee was a fox named Illune who was arrested for burglary.). But Cosmo simply had no motive. Didn't he love nature - or did he just want us to think he did?

In search of further information, we decided to take the Phantoms that had attacked Lia in for questioning. The smaller one escaped while we weren't looking, but we successfully brought the larger one to Jamaa Township.

The next morning, Lia and I went to take the Phantom to the meeting we'd scheduled with Liza. Apparently, she'd never been to a jail before. She kept gawking at the cells on either side of her.

"What did she get in there for?" Lia asked, pointing at a snarling arctic wolf with snowflake patterns.

"Arson, I think." I replied.

"Call it what you like! Mira will rise from the ashes of her death and purge Jamaa of the wicked Alphas! And I'm not just _she_. I'm not just _arsonist_. I have a name: Isabelle," the arsonist growled. I ignored her and continued on to cell number five hundred eighty-seven, where the Phantom floated. Rubber casts encased all of his limbs so that he couldn't generate electricity. The moment he saw us, he came as close as possible.

"When King Ash find out about this, he be mad! Make you pay for keeping me in here with no food!" he screeched.

"How do you even eat without a mouth?" Lia inquired.

"How you eat _with_ mouth?"

"What do you Phantoms even eat?"

"Electricity. Lightning."

"So if there's no food shortage, why are you even attacking?"

"Lia, we all know why." I snapped. "Phantoms are evil and want to destroy us all. Now can we get on with this?"

"You wrong!" the Phantom cried. "We no evil! You the evil ones! You attack, you destroy, you fire on the blind!"

I didn't understand, but at this point I didn't care. Carefully, I unlocked the cell door, hooking a leash onto the loop on one of the Phantom's limb covers. I began to drag it down the hallway, back to Jammer Central.

"I suppose this place _does_ need a little renovation. I mean, just look at those cells! So dirty! Well, I suppose Phantoms don't mind dirt, but animals do. And I'm getting tired of calling you The Phantom. What's your name?" Lia muttered to the Phantom.

"Is this some pathetic questioning?" the Phantom hissed.

"No! Well, I _am_ asking you a question, but this isn't an official questioning."

"Smoke."

"Wait, what? You want me to smoke? But wouldn't that involve setting myself on fire or something?"

"No. Smoke my name."

"Oh. Well, um...Snow?"

"Yes?" I responded.

"How do you feel about this jail? About Jamaa in general?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all!"

"Good."

At this point, we had reached the room where Liza was waiting for us. Peck and Cosmo stood behind her. My reporter friend Skipper the coyote sat in the corner.

"What's with all the Alphas? I thought that only you were coming." I wondered.

"Does it surprise you that I want to hear about this very serious accusation you have for me?" Cosmo growled.

"You never said this was private. Why shouldn't I be here?" Peck snapped.

"Fine." I muttered. "Smoke, get on with it. Talk."

Smoke made some crackling noises.

"He doesn't seem to be able to talk," Peck remarked.

"Come on. I know you can do it. Hiding your intelligence is pointless," I whispered to Smoke.

Smoke shrugged helplessly.

"Is this your idea of a prank, accusing an Alpha like me of betrayal? Or is it something...something worse?" Cosmo shouted.

"Really! I swear he was talking just a minute ago!" Lia cried.

"Hmm. I'm not sure I believe you two. A truant and a…" Liza left my description off, although it echoed in my mind: _non-member_. I seriously wanted to hit her, but I had my job to worry about. Even though the Alphas vetoed all of my proposals, I still needed the money.

"She's a _beta_ , that's what!" Lia screamed. "And you're just a memberist jerk! All of you! You're so memberist that you can't even see what's going on! Look at Cosmo! HE'S SMIRKING BEHIND YOUR BACK!" Cosmo, who was indeed smirking, quickly changed his expression to a serious one.

"I don't think a smirk counts as betrayal, hon." Liza murmured.

"Um...ma'am...can I interject?" Skipper stammered nervously.

"Do it." Liza snapped.

"Well...Snow is a beta. Doesn't that mean you should trust her?"

"Can't you see? Snow here thinks she can use her rank to get Cosmo exiled. Maybe she thinks she could become an Alpha in his place."

If I hadn't valued my job, if I hadn't needed to help my ageing parents, I would've screamed bloody murder. If Skipper hadn't valued his job, he would've been writing an article about how terrible Liza was being. But from the apologetic shake of his head, I could see that he valued his job.

I'd had enough. Without a word, I walked away. I couldn't stop the tears from pouring down my face. Stupid Liza. Stupid job. Stupid dreams.

I heard a clicking noise, and then everything was gone. I couldn't see. I couldn't move. And then...I was spinning at a hazardous speed. No, an _extremely_ hazardous speed. I tried to scream, but I was spinning too fast to make a sound.

And then...the spinning stopped, and my eyes opened, even though I couldn't recall closing them. I was standing on a rock. There was nothing around me but light.

Just as I was wondering what had happened, blue mist rose from below the light, creeping into a vaguely animalish shape. Two cold, glowing eyes appeared, narrowing at me.

"Why?"

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Why are you bothering with interrogations? Just kill the Phantom."

"I don't think you have the right to judge my actions. You haven't done anything for Jamaa. You're just mist." I barked.

"So you too do not recognize me, even though I recognize you, Snowbelle Senkira. You do not realize that I have done more for Jamaa than _anyone_. But I do not blame you. You live under the horrible Alphas. I was a fool to trust them."

"So...you want me to betray Jamaa? I'd never!"

"No. You will not betray Jamaa. You will aid it. You, the crippled wolf, and the Half-Alpha."

"The Half-Alpha? Do you mean Lia?"

"Ophelia Harkins, yes." The disembodied eyes glanced around. "I cannot speak to you much longer. But something is coming. Something wonderful. Wonderful to all who do not oppose me." The eyes stared straight into mine. "Do not oppose me, Snowbelle Senkira."

And then everything went black, and I spun for what seemed like an eternity. When the spinning stopped and my eyes opened once more, I stood in Kimbara Outback.

What had happened?

What was that misty creature?

What "wonderful thing" was going to happen?

And who was the crippled wolf?

Just then, my eyes fell upon the Kimbara Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. A perfect place to look for crippled wolves!

But first, I had to find Lia.


	6. The Crippled Wolf (Mark and Smoke)

I hadn't howled since Belaya died. I hadn't howled once during the entire time I spent recovering. But now, I simply _had_ to howl. It was long overdue.

I didn't last a day in my new job (the third job in two weeks). I couldn't move fast enough, couldn't keep my rage in. The final infraction had occurred when I ripped a T-shirt to shreds (Good news: nobody was wearing it. Bad news: I was working in Jam Mart Clothing). I couldn't help it. There was a picture of a Phantom on it. It didn't matter that the Phantom was fleeing from a fox. No Jammer should even have to LOOK at a Phantom.

I'd spent most of my free time ripping the word Phantom from every book I could find. Why should Jamaa let Phantoms live on in books and other propaganda?

But no. The moment I ripped that shirt, I was fired. I was losing hope that life would ever be normal again. Whenever I felt mad, I used to run until I calmed down. But now there would be no running, thanks to my bad leg. I was trapped in a body that could no longer do what I needed to do.

So I howled.

I stared right up into the sky and howled as loud as I could. I poured my heart and soul into every note. I let out the pain, let out the suffering, let my voice carry on until I left my body behind, until my spirit was floating into the great blue sky.

Alas, it could not last. Before long, I was back in my stupid body. My howl was over, and my anger was coming back. I was angry at just about everything: Phantoms, my own uselessness, the pitying faces of Jammers who thought I was good for nothing. Jammers in general, actually.

Why was I still in Jamaa? Why hadn't I left? Why was I still trying when there was nobody here for me? Why was I bothering trying to be decent when there was a whole world out there? I could find a place with no Phantoms. A place where I could start over (though I _would_ go back once to kill Belaya's killer). Hadn't the Alphas come from the lands beyond Jamaa? Maybe I could find somebody who could help me. Maybe I could find a way to fix my leg.

Excited at this thought, I started to run - then tripped after a few seconds. Stupid leg.

A moment later, I was staring at a map of Jamaa. Since there were no maps of the world beyond Jamaa, I just had to pick a way out and hope for the best.

Mount Shiveer was surrounded by cliffs. The ones that led to it were pretty small, but the ones that faced away from Jamaa were high, sheer, and practically unclimbable. The only inland ways leading out from Serepia Forest were mountain ranges, which would be very tough terrain. Studying the map a bit more, I realized that the only way out of Jamaa that didn't involve swimming or climbing was through Appondale. I'd heard many rumors about the danger of the Great Savannah that lay beyond Appondale, but rumors weren't facts...right?

…

It only took me about a minute to get to Appondale, since it was right next to Jamaa Township. I took a deep breath, gazing upon the Great Savannah. The grass rippled, creating a green sea. The savannah stretched out as far as I could see. Maybe it went on and on forever.

I crouched, preparing to spring down from the small, rabbit-height ledge that separated Appondale from the Great Savannah. I was really doing this. I was really leaving Jamaa behind. I was leaving behind...nobody, really. Nobody that mattered to me. My parents had both died when I was three. My three friends from the army, Bryce, Caleb, and Amy, had all gone on a patrol and were never seen again. I didn't care about anyone else, not since Belaya died. I was alone.

I sprang. For a moment, I flew through the air.

Then, just as I was about to cross into the Great Savannah, I hit a wall and fell back to the ground, my bad leg twinging painfully.

What had just happened? I could see no wall, yet when I put my paw out, I touched one. An invisible wall. And a sturdy one, too. Wait...it couldn't be…

I tried leaving Jamaa from all of the inland routes. When I passed beneath the tree walkways in Serepia Forest, I hit an invisible wall. When I tried to jump the river in Coral Canyons, I hit an invisible wall. I even dared to leap from the top of Mount Shiveer, which resulted in a nosebleed from hitting an invisible wall.

This wasn't just a coincidence. There were invisible walls all around Jamaa's borders. Perhaps they were built to keep something out...or to keep the Jammers in.

But who would do something like that? The Alphas hadn't said anything about invisible walls…

At this point, I was confused, aching, and tired. Maybe a little rest would clear things up.

Before I knew it, I was asleep.

…

I was spinning, spinning so fast that my bones shook. Everything hurt. I tried to cry out, but I made no sound. After about a minute of this, I stopped, appearing on a rock in the middle of nothing but light - and blue mist, rising from the light, forming a lump that looked a bit like some unknown animal. Maybe a bird? Two glowing eyes widened into view, staring straight at me.

"What you have seen today is only the beginning. The time for secrets has passed." a voice rang out from not only the mist but also the light. "I admire your dedication, Mark Fallow. Though you are alone now, you won't be alone for long. You must find the Half-Alpha and the seal near rebellion."

"W-what? Who are you? How do you know my name?" I asked fearfully.

The voice let out an irritated groan. "Why does nobody know who I am? Never mind. Once I get my true form back, everyone will know my name. But since you are my favorite of the three, I will tell you who I am. I am-" the voice was cut off as everything went black.

I spun again, just as violently as before. I was distantly aware of somebody calling my name again and again, but everything simply faded out as I sunk into sleep.

…

I yawned and opened my eyes. The sun was high in the sky. It had been evening when I'd fallen asleep. Had I really slept that long?

My eyes widened as the events of the night came back to me. What was that misty thing? Was it just a dream? It had felt so real…

"Hey! You!"

I spun around to see what looked like a mix between Marco and a normal penguin rushing towards me. The Half-Alpha! I knew that Marco had a daughter, but I'd never seen her before. By the Half-Alpha's side, the seal I'd seen storming out of Jammer Central yesterday ran. Could she be the seal near rebellion?

"Hey! Could you guys be...the Half-Alpha and the seal near rebellion?" I exclaimed, instantly regretting my choice of words.

"That's what this weird misty thing called us, yeah." The Half-Alpha replied. She turned to the seal. "We found the crippled wolf!"

…(POV Change)...

I slammed into the wall of my cell again. Just like the eight other times I'd attacked the wall, nothing happened. My whole body was sore, but I wouldn't let that stop me. I was going to break out of this cell. I couldn't count on King Ash's aid. He didn't know where I was. But I knew. There was a window in the room where I'd seen Liza yesterday. Gazing out, I saw so many buildings that I had known I was in Jamaa Township.

For a moment, I paused. It had been almost two days since I was imprisoned. A lot had happened. First, there was the shock of the capture. Then, the horrible conditions. I wasn't even getting anything to eat! I also needed to report that Marco had a daughter. I needed to assess her strength. She was so quirky, so _different_. She was kind of annoying, but she actually seemed curious about me. She didn't think I was evil. But...she had to be evil, right? The Jammers were the ones who had started the war, after all…

I couldn't let myself think about that. Instead, I turned to the more shocking news: the Jammers that called themselves Lia (Marco's daughter) and Snow knew of Cosmo's betrayal. The secret could not stay secret for much longer.

I was so engrossed by my thoughts that I didn't hear the door of my cell opening at first. When I did notice, I zoomed out to see a monkey wearing a strange mask. Could it be…

"Zios!" I screeched in Jammer. "What you doing here? You dead!"

"I never died. After Mira died, I left." Zios whispered.

"Why you do this? You betrayed King Ash."

"I am truly sorry. I was hoping the Phantoms had forgotten. It has been a long, long time. I-I chose the wrong side. Mira and I… I thought… I didn't think she would go to such an extreme. I underestimated her rage. But the past is in the past. You need to get out of here. Give Ash my apologies. And tell him that Mira will soon return. Your only hope lies in the Half-Alpha, the seal near rebellion, and the crippled wo-"

Zios was cut off as I smacked him to the ground and floated away.


	7. The Prophecy (Lia)

"So now that we're together, what do we do?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. But I think it has something to do with the invisible walls around Jamaa's borders." Mark replied.

"THE WHAT?"

"Yesterday, I tried...I tried to leave Jamaa, but I hit a wall whenever I went past the border."

"Like...a border wall? To keep Phantoms out?"

"Or to keep us in."

"Wait. If these walls exist, that means that the only way to get to the places we go by portal...is by portal. Think about it. There could be _anything_ between us and those places."

Snow had been silent this whole time. Now, she spoke. "But that doesn't make sense. Who has the technology to make something like that? Phantoms? But they want to invade Jamaa, not keep themselves out. Maybe this is some kind of spell...but who would cast it? It doesn't make sense."

"It does not make sense? Why should everything make sense? What about nonsense?"

All three of us whipped around to see a red fox with black triangles by her eyes, black paws, a tuft of fur on her forehead sticking up, and a silver earring. The most disturbing thing was her white-blue eyes. In my brief visit to the jail, I'd seen enough to recognize the look of madness.

"You don't look like a normal fox. You look like a fox Alpha...if there was one." I mused.

"I am an Alpha. Perhaps they do not tell you. I am from first set." the strange fox murmured.

"What do you mean, first set?"

"Zios brought us here. Wanted us to fight Phantoms. Wrong side, so we fled."

"Mira's side wasn't the wrong side!"

"Bloodthirsty heron. Zios couldn't see it yet. We did, so we ran."

"Then why are you here now? Why didn't I ever learn about this so-called first set?"

"Heard about the lies. Crawled through the ones and zeroes, saw things. I see beyond sight. As for the second, they don't want you to learn us. They think us cowards."

"What ones and zeroes? What lies? Why are you speaking in haikus?"

"I can speak other ways. Feel the sun's golden rays. For I am Amelia." Amelia's eyes darted to each of us. "There should be four. Why are no more?"

I looked at her confusedly. "Four? The blue mist only said three. You know the blue mist, right? I mean, in Jamaa you don't usually run into misty things every day, but…"

"I can understand. She wouldn't want alliance. With a Phantom, yes."

"You mean the fourth is a Phantom? And how do you even know about this?"

"Heard the prophecy. Mirage Well, Great Savannah. There were three of us."

"What-" I began, but I stopped as I heard Amelia gasp. Her eyes turned jet black - not just the irises, but the entire eyes. When she spoke, it sounded as if two voices were speaking: a high-pitched voice and a deeper one.

" _Time of war has ended, time of lies to start. Force once fallen rises, strikes at the very heart. Four will come and bring the change. Four will come to make the turn. Four will come and bridge the gap. Both will prevail or one will burn."_ Amelia took a deep breath, then continued. " _The Half-Alpha, the seal near rebellion, the crippled wolf, the Phantom who seeks revenge. Together to be four."_

What the heck was that supposed to mean? I could only stare, dumbfounded, as Amelia's eyes returned to normal. The thing that really scared me about the prophecy she'd just uttered (it was definitely a prophecy. What else could've made her eyes and voice go funny?) was knowing that we would be bringing a change. But what _was_ the change? Would it be good, or bad? What about the force? Did it have something to do with the change, or the invisible walls? And who was lying?

Looking at Snow's face, I saw only shock. But Mark looked furious, his green eyes flashing.

"No. NO! I am NOT working with a Phantom." he spat. "I don't care about this stupid prophecy! Just leave me alone. Pick another wolf!"

"But it must be you. You recognize the Phantom. Found the unseen walls." Amelia whispered. Mark turned away.

"But why us?" Snow wondered. "Why not the Alphas?"

Amelia gasped again, her eyes rolling back in her head. "There once were the ones and the zeroes. A place with no thoughts and no heroes. A place where all thought is turned into naught. I thought I escaped from the zeroes." I snorted. It _had_ to be a limerick? Limericks were supposed to be funny. But the words Amelia spoke sent a shiver down my spine.

"No! Go! Do not send me back! Do not attack! Do not come back!" Amelia screamed. A moment later, she vanished.

"What...what...I don't understand." Snow muttered.

"Oh, I understand. We were talking to a crazy fox. We can't trust anything she says." Mark hissed.

"The prophecy was real, Mark. Didn't you feel the energy behind the words? Didn't you feel the trueness?"

"I don't care what this prophecy says. Let's just ignore it and do what we feel is right, okay? And no Phantoms."

"I guess that could work until we figure this out. What do you think, Lia?"

I already knew my answer. "Let's do it. So, we're gonna report this to the Alphas, right?"

"Right." Snow confirmed.

Mark didn't hesitate. "Right."

…

We arrived in Jammer Central a few minutes later. Snow and I led Mark, who had never come here before, to the Alpha headquarters. A sign on the wooden door read _Meeting In Progress_.

"I guess we can wait." I chirped, pointing to a bench right next to the door. We all sat down.

"Can you hear something?" Mark asked. Now that he'd mentioned it, I did hear something...voices. The voices of the Alphas, coming from behind the mostly closed door (it was open a crack).

"No. Impossible. He couldn't...he shouldn't...he wouldn't...impossible." Liza muttered, barely audible.

"Liza, the fact is that Snowbelle was right. Cosmo fled right after we found the maps and letters. We were wrong. Maybe it's some sort of glitch. But the why doesn't matter right now. Graham could figure out the technical part later. But what we need to figure out is what to tell the public." Greely snapped. There was a moment of silence, and then the talking resumed.

"Look. This would ruin our picture. For an Alpha to be the first Jammer to work with the Phantoms? After we've worked so hard to be respected, trusted leaders? Absolutely terrifying! And for the traitor to be _Cosmo_? The BOTANIST? This is - it's just…" Liza trailed off and used a swear word my mother would've grounded me for saying. Liza, the Alpha who always wanted things picture perfect. Then, there were at least six crashes and thuds, followed by the sound of Peck giggling.

"Liza, you look like Bad Cop from Rules and Reports. Was it just me or did our perfect Liza throw a chair at the wall?" Peck chuckled. Peck was an artist and could make jokes out of anything, which made her my favorite Alpha - no, my FORMER favorite Alpha.

"I didn't know that stool could even make such a big crack." Graham mused.

"I know, right? It was like Liza was karate-slamming the chair into the wall, like HIIIIII-YAH!"

"Will you two stop goofing off and figure out what to do about the Cosmo situation? We can't tell the public, or else they'll start thinking that more of us might be traitors. So maybe we can say Cosmo died and the Phantoms created an evil clone of him." Liza growled. I waited for an Alpha to say what a bad idea not telling the public was.

Nothing.

"Okay, so we need to find, like, the cause of death. Boomseed malfunction? Assassination? Drowning?" Peck wondered.

"If we said he was assassinated and then the Phantoms took the body and made an evil clone, then we could blame it on Snowbelle. Think about it. We could say that she still thought that Cosmo was a traitor, and so she knocked him off a cliff or something. Then we could just forget about the stupid prophecy." When I heard the voice, my blood ran cold. No. It couldn't be! Marco would never suggest such a thing!

But...he just had.

No. It didn't make sense. IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE! My father wasn't… he wouldn't… I _knew_ him…

Well, I knew him from the time I talked to him four years ago.

My whole body shivered as I realized that I knew next to nothing about Marco.

…

Snow was the first to recover from the shock. At first she only growled, growing louder and louder until I had to put a wing over her mouth to keep the Alphas from hearing. Mark looked just as stunned and angry, but he simply sat and stared at the wall. The Alphas continued to talk, but I wasn't listening. I didn't want to listen.

Finally, Snow jerked away from my wing. "We have to get out of here!" she whispered.

I nodded, and all three of us walked back down the hallway toward the exit. As we reached the front desk, I jumped at a sudden noise before realizing that it was just the arctic wolf that worked there, clearing her throat. Her eyes widened as she saw Mark.

"Snowbelle?" the arctic wolf called.

"Y-yes?" Snow stammered.

"Some seal came in here a few hours ago. He said he was your brother. He had grey fur, but his eyes looked just like yours. His name was Ethan, I think." The arctic wolf seemed rather annoyed about having to talk to Snow.

"Ethan? I don't know anybody by that name. I do know that my parents put one of their kids up for adoption… something about a disorder, I think. Maybe Ethan was that kid. I'll keep an eye out for him." Snow looked both surprised and reviled, a hard look to pull off (I knew from experience).

"Good."

I turned to go, Snow following me. A few moments later, I noticed that Mark hadn't moved. He just sat there, staring at the arctic wolf with a befuddled expression.

"Mark?" Snow called.

"Oh! I'm coming!" Mark yelped, racing to catch up to me.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

Mark shrugged. "The arctic wolf looked like somebody I used to know. Different fur, but the same voice and eyes."

"Huh. Wierd."

As I spoke, we exited the building.

"Where are we gonna go?" Mark wondered.

Snow narrowed her eyes. "The press. We're going to tell everyone the truth about the Alphas."


End file.
